As for running away? The power of the Herrscher of the Void had already been implanted into La Signora's body. No matter where she fled, she couldn't escape.
La Signora watched the young man walk away, feeling her power return to her body. But she didn't have the courage to chase after him.
"Damn it, Akio… who is he? How can he even seal the Tsaritsa's power?" La Signora gritted her teeth, touching her face and realizing her mask had been taken by him.
"That bastard!" She cursed angrily and stormed back to her hotel.
"Lady Signora!" The Electro Cicin Mage, seeing La Signora in such a disheveled state, hurried over.
"Get out of my sight!" La Signora snapped. "Forget what you saw today! Or I'll burn you to ashes."
"Yes, ma'am!" The Electro Cicin Mage trembled and immediately knelt.
"Hmph…" La Signora angrily returned to her room.
"Akio! You're truly despicable! You've humiliated me!" Furious, La Signora smashed everything in the room.
Unlike La Signora's rage, Akio was in high spirits! He hummed a tune, feeling that today's outing had been incredibly fruitful.
He had gained La Signora! Akio clearly remembered her background, and most importantly, when he sealed her power, he discovered something crucial—she was still a virgin!
Akio had a bit of a cleanliness obsession. He preferred pure and innocent girls.
"Akio!" As he walked, Akio heard someone call his name. He turned to see Keqing running toward him.
"Hello there," Akio greeted her with a warm smile as Keqing jogged up to him, slightly out of breath.
"Akio! You're actually a god?" Keqing asked, hands on her hips.
Seeing Keqing's expression, Akio laughed. "What's wrong? I never said I was a mortal."
"Um…" Keqing suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. "About what I said yesterday, don't take it to heart. I'm not disrespecting the gods. I just think that if humans rely entirely on the gods and don't strive for themselves, then what's the point of our existence?"
"I understand," Akio smiled. "I don't think you're wrong. In fact, you're more clear-headed than most."
"Huh?" Keqing's eyes widened. Akio actually agreed with her? But yesterday…
"Gods aren't omniscient or omnipotent. We can make mistakes and have doubts too," Akio explained. "For mortals, blindly trusting the gods can lead to a loss of independent thought."
"I have to admit, human wisdom is vast and profound. Even without the protection of gods, humans have overcome countless challenges," Akio said. "To be honest, I'm not a god of this world. I've witnessed a godless nation rise from weakness to greatness, relying on the wisdom and labor of its people to become a powerful country that stands at the pinnacle of the world."
"Really?" Keqing asked in surprise, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Can you tell me more about that country?"
"Of course," Akio nodded. "In that world, there were no gods, and thus no divine rule. Humans had to govern themselves."
"At first, they believed in the divine right of kings, where one person ruled the entire nation with a strict hierarchy," Akio explained. "Under such governance, there were wise rulers, but also tyrants who disregarded the people."
"Later, the people awakened. After a brutal war, they rebuilt their homeland and established a great nation where the people were the masters."
"This proves that human wisdom is no less than that of the gods," Akio said seriously. "In just a few decades, they transformed a weak and backward country into a major power with a voice on the world stage."
"That's truly remarkable," Keqing said in awe. "The people became the masters of their nation!"
"But I want to tell you that Teyvat is different from that world. The existence of gods cannot be ignored," Akio said. "That's what I meant yesterday."
"In that world, there's a weapon called a nuclear bomb, with power comparable to a god's full-strength attack," Akio explained. "If such weapons were fully deployed, it would essentially mean the end of human civilization."
"So, nuclear weapons are more of a strategic deterrent. If you have them, you have a voice on the international stage, and others won't dare to bully you," Akio said. "In Teyvat, each god is like a nuclear weapon. They rarely act, but their very existence ensures that wars between nations don't break out easily."
"That's why I said, not having a sword and having a sword but not using it are two different things," Akio continued. "Without Rex Lapis's presence, external forces would only grow more ambitious toward Liyue."
"So, Keqing, do you understand now?" Akio smiled.
"I… I understand," Keqing said softly, lowering her head. In the end, they still couldn't do without Rex Lapis.
"Don't be so disheartened. I'm friends with your Geo Archon," Akio comforted her. "Keqing, I can tell you clearly that Rex Lapis greatly admires you."
Akio looked at the purple-haired girl. Despite Keqing's apparent irreverence toward the gods and Rex Lapis, she was actually a devoted fan of Rex Lapis. Didn't her room full of Rex Lapis figurines prove that?
Rex Lapis's charm was undeniable! After all, there were two types of people in Liyue: those who adored Rex Lapis, and those who were twisted fans of Rex Lapis.
Oh, wait, there might be a third type—Zhongli, Rex Lapis's anti-fan.
"Three thousand five hundred years of protection—even Rex Lapis would grow weary," Akio sighed. "So, Keqing, continue to use your passion and hard work to change Liyue. The next era of Liyue will ultimately be an era of human governance."
"Thank you, Akio!" Keqing nodded, suddenly feeling reinvigorated. Hearing Akio's words filled her with determination. She was ready to dedicate herself fully to the development of Liyue.
Seeing Keqing so motivated, Akio's expression turned strange. Oh no, I think I just helped Zhongli mind control a young girl! This workaholic is going to push herself even harder now!
Zhongli owes me a meal for this! I've just advanced his retirement plan!
"However, you should also take care of yourself, Keqing. If you exhaust yourself, you won't be able to help Liyue," Akio added, feeling it was necessary to remind her.
"Got it!" Keqing nodded. "In that case, I'll get back to work! Akio, let's go shopping together sometime!"
"..." Akio watched the energetic girl run off and sighed. Poor Keqing.